SCHOOL ZONES:
Matakana Primary, Mahurangi College.
CONTACT:
Ross Hawkins, Sotheby’s, 027 472 0577 or Shane Romani 021 889 906.
Emma Roberton and her friends ran the length of these secluded sands and swam at the beach as a youngster, holidaying at a home around the corner, built by her grandfather.
She introduced her husband Mike, a city lawyer, to the delights of the bay and together they've given their sons Sam, 11, Luca, 9, and Ben, 5, the true Kiwi bach experience, making them the fourth generation of Emma's family to do so.
That's not unusual for Buckleton Bay, especially this cul de sac with its tightly held, near-original beachfront baches and those opposite including the elevated Roberton house with big bay views.
Emma and Mike, who live in Remuera, heard this place was for sale seven years ago through a local grapevine that includes friends Emma grew up with. These friends and their own children are among those who'll pile in here for a picnic or badminton on the back lawn, or hospitality on the 28sq m deck that is their "third lounge". Or they'll stay in the "bunkroom" that is the third bedroom, part of the wing that includes the fully equipped laundry directly off the carpeted garage and double carport aka "the kids' lounge".
This separate wing is two steps away from the main house and is a big part of why this entire property has delivered more than this family could have dreamt of. In the off-season the garage houses their kayaks, surfboards, dinghy, fishing gear and other bach essentials.
Come summer, Mike will put the motor on the dinghy and the family will do as other families do here and head out round past Sandspit and up the Matakana river to the village for icecreams.
The kids and their friends in their tents on the front lawn will take their kayaks out to the pontoon to swim or just chill out when they're not playing cricket on the beachside reserve, or checking out the rock pools at both ends of the beach.
Image 1 of 8: This holiday home is a family treasure, in a little known spot that has been a favourite for generations. Photos / supplied
Life here is orientated to the outdoors, says Emma.
The only thing Mike and Emma needed to do, when they moved in, was to tweak the planting. Everything else had been done at this bach, one of the earliest in the bay and built after the Buckleton subdivision was created from farmland in the 1960s.
Emma and Mike bought the place fully furnished and accessorised right down to the sisal flooring in the living area. Their kitchen, with its perimeter laminate and stainless bench and upstand, picks up the beach vibe with a blue vinyl floor set against the walls in a soft yellow that is the interior colour throughout.
The two bedrooms are off the living area, one for the three boys in bunks and a trundler/day bed, and the other for their parents.
Plentiful built-in storage includes wardrobes, a cupboard for board games in the lounge and a linen cupboard next to the electric hot water cylinder in the bathroom.
Mike had never heard of Buckleton Bay before he met Emma.
"It was a secret, really. I remember walking round the back when we first came here and going 'Wow'. I couldn't believe how much lawn we had."
For Emma, the pohutukawa on the beachside reserve are still a big drawcard.
"One of the reasons I wanted a place here was for the pohutukawa because they are shade for the family which other places we visited never had."
Now Emma and Mike have set their sights on more distant vistas, having made the decision to loosen their ties here in favour of more overseas travel.
